The closer a crash test dummy is to a real human body the more effective it is at showing just how safe a car is and exposing flaws in the design. The exact accuracy of a crash test dummy though is nigh on impossible to achieve though every year designs improve with the material more like human flesh, structure more like bone and joints working more like those of a human.Progress is still slow though and there are more lives which could be saved.

One problem with crash test dummies which are realistic, is that the more realistic they are the more difficult they are to make and the more time consuming they are to make. Humanetics Innovative Solutions of Ohio supply several industries including car makers, aviation companies and the military with Crash Test Dummies, or to give them their real name anthropomorphic test devices. They are already highly successful but are now using 3D printing service technology to get one step ahead of competitors. 3D printing services they use drastically cut down on the costs and time needed to make a Crash Test Dummy or more importantly the molds needed. The cost saving comes from far less man hours having to be expended as the process is automated from a 3D CAD file rather than aluminum molds made by hand and also the amount of waste material is virtually zero: important where expensive materials are in use they save hundreds of dollars in materials each time.

As for the time saved using a 3D printing Service as Humanetics Innovative Solutions don't keep a stock pile of dummies being able to provide dummies for an order quickly is a big advantage over competitors. Many customers have specific needs for custom dummies and need them made to very specific designs often to test in very specific situations. What Humanetics do have is a wide range of CAD files for the molds for different designs and they send the one needed to print. They can also quickly adapt their 3D CAD models and do a test print of a mold to check changes before printing a finalized version with their 3D printing service. The time saved over making aluminum molds is massive and the accuracy is far better.

The 3D printing service that Humanetics use is done by a ZCorporationZprinter which they originally purchased for a project with the US Department of Defense: who were in a hurry to get head models to test goggles and face shields for troops already fighting in Iraq. The molds could be made within days rather than months even with revisions which only took hours rather than the time it would have taken to make one aluminum mold in the past. Some parts can also be made that go directly into the dummies but this is limited by the materials that the Zprinters can print in: often in fact tougher than the bones they would represent. With technology improving though for 3D printing services where more materials can be used and density altered it may only be a matter of time until dummies are made out of printed parts almost solely or even printed pre assembled.

Since 2001 EMS ( http://www.ems-usa.com ) has grown to become one of the premier providers of 3D scanners, product design, rapid prototyping services, 3D scanning and 3D printing service.With almost a decade of experience in providing high quality service and products, we have helped clients across a variety of industries build and manage their ideas and bring them to life. EMS is based in Tampa, FL and has offices in Atlanta, GA and Detroit, MI.